Blatant lies: Oppn on PM's remarks on Agnipath

July 26, 2024

The Opposition parties slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday over his claims concerning the Agnipath scheme while paying tribute to martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas and demanded a review of the scheme. Modi said the Agnipath recruitment scheme was an example of necessary reforms undertaken by the Army and accused the opposition of playing politics over the recruitment process aimed at keeping the average age in the armed forces low.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other party leaders accused the prime minister of indulging in "petty politics" over the Agnipath issue and said the prime minister's remarks that his government implemented the scheme at the behest of the Army was a "blatant lie".

"It is very unfortunate and deplorable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is doing petty politics even on occasions like paying tribute to martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas. No Prime Minister has ever done this before," Kharge said.

"Modi ji is saying that his government implemented the Agnipath scheme at the behest of the Army. This is a blatant lie and an unforgivable insult to our valiant armed forces. Modi ji, it is you who is spreading lies!" he said in a post on X. Asserting that many retired officers had strongly criticised the scheme, the Congress chief said the Agnipath scheme was endangering national security and the aspirations of the rural youth.